Sorbent materials and the theory of sorption and ion exchange are well known as set forth for example in the Chemical Engineers' Handbook, John H. Perry, Fourth Edition, Published 1963, McGraw Hill, Section 16. Also, sorption operations and procedures are well known, as exemplified therein. While resins and other substances are known, it is important for purposes of this invention to have a light transparent sorbent material of long life with very high surface areas or internal porosity and yet capable of acting as a reaction system for various reactions in preparation of a matrix site for desired end reactions. In such reactions chemical inertness, strength and usefulness in the presence of high temperatures are desirable characteristics. Thus, the highly preferred class of sorbent materials found to produce these characteristics in accordance with the needs of this invention are the classes of sorbent materials known as silica gels or thirsty glass.
Exploratory studies have been made with sorbent synthetic resins and the like for electron transfer or redox reactions, where valences are changed without other changes to the solutions being treated. These reactions have been theorized to be suitable for decomposing water. However, in the past there has been little success in decomposing water on a practical scale because of a major problem imposed by the extremely short transitory time duration of the disproportionation products of redox agents.
One particular redox reaction, namely using the ruthenium polypridine complex, that has been theorized as a possible candidate for decomposing water in the photochemical behavior of Ru(bpy).sub.3 Cl.sub.2 (bpy denoting 2,2' bipyridine) as a reduction agent. Thus, a photoinduced disproportionation of Ru(bpy).sub.3.sup.2+ is explained in the following manner: ##EQU1##
In the past, the yield of Ru(bpy).sub.3.sup.+ is low, .phi..about.10.sup.-3, and the lifetime short, .about.2 milliseconds. Thus, the very short transitory lifetime of this reaction has ruled it out in the past as a successful candidate for decomposing water with any promise of practical yields. Even these experiments in the past have required consumption of expensive external electrons from a suitable source.
Thus, it has not been feasible in the past to achieve the following necessary criteria for obtaining reduction products successfully such as hydrogen from water with photo redox techniques.
Other kinds of reactions are known which cannot take place at ambient room temperatures but must be processed at highly elevated temperature ranges, which in an energy short environment requires use of critical resources.
Prior art related literature for photo redox reduction techniques includes:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,315 Fletcher et al.--Aug. 30, 1977 showing a redox method of solar photolysis of water in a transparent container or on glass fibers in the presence of a water soluble photo oxidizable reagent such as a europium salt and an insoluble hydrogen recombination catalyst such as platinum.
Other known reactions and procedures related to the novel and new overall combination of means and process steps of this invention are found in various publications and known in the art as typified by the following:
Ruthenium polypyridine disproportionation, G. Navon and N. Sutin, Inorganic Chemistry, 13, 2159 (1974).
Photo reduction of water by Ru(bpy).sub.3.sup.2+ as reported, G. Sprintschnik, H. W. Sprintschnik and D. G. Whitten, Journal of American Chemical Society, 98, 2337 (1976), has not thereafter been successfully reproduced, G. L. Gaines, P. E. Behnken and S. J. Valenty, ibid., 100, 6549 (1978); S. J. Valenty and G. L. Gaines, ibid., 99, 1285 (1977); G. Sprintschnik, et al., ibid., 99, 4947 (1977).
Thirsty glass characteristics, T. H. Elmer et al., Journal of American Ceramic Society, 53, 171 (1970).
Increased lifetime of pyrene in the triplet state when adsorbed to glass was reported by J. W. Sutherland and P. L. Piciulo, Journal of American Chemical Society, 101, 3123 (1979). Various hydrocarbon radicals formed by UV photolysis of alkoxy were stable for long periods of time in thirsty glass as reported by E. Melamud, M. G. Reisner and U. Garbatski, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 77, 1023 (1973); A. Masakazu, et al., Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan, 50, 31 (1977); C. L. Gardner and E. J. Casey, Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 46, 207 (1968).